Debates of October 23, 2006 (day 13)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Mr. Speaker, my previous statement, I would like to ask the Justice Minister a question. When we call the RCMP station, they forward the information to Yellowknife. (Translation ends)

…Member’s statement, the community of Behchoko has serious concerns about the safety of its Tlicho speaking residents who do not have the ability to access RCMP in their own language around the clock. Mr. Speaker, what is the Minister prepared to do to ensure our citizens have the ability to communicate with the RCMP around the clock in the Tlicho language? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 159-15(5): RCMP Services In The Tlicho Language

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for the question. This is an issue the Member has raised a number of times. We’ve had discussion in committee about the challenge. I think it’s particularly heightened in the Tlicho region where there are many unilingual speakers. We want to make sure they have access to the RCMP. So it is something we have raised with the RCMP. I am prepared and have indicated to the Member that we would go into the community and talk about policing issues, along with the Minister of MACA. We will be doing that shortly after session. I think we need to propose a number of potential solutions and discuss how they may work. One of the things we know is that Justice has piloted a program called Can Talk, which involves translation of something like 150 languages for court services and other justice programming. It is something we have offered to the RCMP and I will follow up with those discussions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 159-15(5): RCMP Services In The Tlicho Language

Mr. Speaker, in light of the recognition of the Tlicho language as one of the largest aboriginal communities and we also speak our language, I am glad the Minister recognizes that. We are faced with a dilemma in the community where there is a lack of communication between the departments. a lack of understanding. Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister, could the Minister commit to hiring a full-time Tlicho speaking, whether it be receptionist, clerk or dispatch, at Behchoko detachment for after hour services. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 159-15(5): RCMP Services In The Tlicho Language

Mr. Speaker, I think it’s best that we sit down with the community and talk about some options. Obviously the concern is after hours and we need to come up with some sort of 24-hour mechanism in order to do it in a cost-effective manner. We have looked at solutions like this translation service through the telephone. I am not sure that that would be adequate. It’s possible we can work with other departments and talk about the need maybe at the health centre. Potentially there is translation there that we could borrow. Mr. Speaker, I will say that this is a problem. We can’t go by the number of asks, because I have a feeling that many people would not come forward with concerns when they know the service isn’t available. So I think the first step is to go to the community and talk about how we might provide a service like this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 159-15(5): RCMP Services In The Tlicho Language

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the opportunity arises in a partnership, we are always happy to join forces with departments or the Ministers. On this particular issue, the community would like to see some results, whether it be this year or next year, but the sooner the better. So I would like to ask the Minister if he’s willing to make a commitment in this House, whether this will be part of the business plan cycle for 2007 to implement for next year. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 159-15(5): RCMP Services In The Tlicho Language

Mr. Speaker, I can’t make that commitment on behalf of the RCMP. Obviously we don’t provide them direct operational advice. We can’t indicate to them where they have to put their resources, but I will raise this with the RCMP. I will come to the community and I will give the commitment to the Member in this House that we will work to find a solution. I know this is a need in the community and I do appreciate the region’s support in this regard. So we will work with the region to try to address this problem. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Question 160-15(5): All-Weather Road Access To The Diamond Mines

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I was getting to in my Member’s statement, I was talking about this government not taking a sit down approach when dealing with the federal government. Mr. Speaker, we need year-round access to our mining corridor and, Mr. Speaker, we need a Transportation Minister to deliver that message. So to start to get to some of the answers to these questions, can the Minister tell me if his Department of Transportation has any preliminary estimates or any information on how much industry has spent this spring and summer because of the loss of their winter road access through flying in all the materials to the mines? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 160-15(5): All-Weather Road Access To The Diamond Mines

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can’t guarantee the accuracy, but my information that we have through our discussions with a joint venture group has indicated that the costs, because of the winter road situation to the mines, will run around $100 million. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 160-15(5): All-Weather Road Access To The Diamond Mines

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday in Yellowknife, it was plus five degrees. I checked the weather before I came downstairs, it was plus three degrees in Yellowknife and it was plus nine in Hay River. So I am getting at the fact that the climate is changing. Does the Minister of Transportation have any estimates on what it would cost to turn the Ingraham Trail into a year-round road, not of paving or chipseal quality, but simply a year-round access road to the diamond mine corridor? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 160-15(5): All-Weather Road Access To The Diamond Mines

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have a firm number on what it would cost to build an all-weather road. We have been working with a joint venture company, stakeholders that utilize this winter road and had looked at a number of options including an all-weather road. I think there were 18 different scenarios that we were looking at as options. They narrowed it down to two or three. We haven’t scoped it all out. An engineering firm has been hired to do some of the early assessments. We certainly will work with them and support them, but I don’t have a firm number at this point. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 160-15(5): All-Weather Road Access To The Diamond Mines

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister earlier said it was approximately $100 million spent in resupplying the mines this spring and summer, Mr. Speaker. I think it’s a shame that that money is being spent in that regard. We could be putting it into real infrastructure, Mr. Speaker. When we have a Prime Minister who says if we do not approve the pipeline, there will be no resource deal, so, Mr. Speaker, let’s turn that around and say if the Prime Minister doesn’t approve infrastructure and a resource deal for the NWT, we should say no pipeline, Mr. Speaker. Let’s show him who truly is standing up for the NWT. With that said, Mr. Speaker, would this Minister be willing to build a coalition approach with the industry such as the mining groups and go stand up to Ottawa and say we need their support? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 160-15(5): All-Weather Road Access To The Diamond Mines

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course. I think we are already taking the first steps to do that. We have participated as stakeholders with the joint venture initiatives that are underway. We have also been working with the Tlicho and the Tlicho corridor to look at realignment, look at scoping out what it would cost to do work in that area. There are a number of initiatives on the table here. I don’t know if we are ready to move forward and go pound on the Minister’s door in Ottawa until we have some firm numbers on how we would cost-share some of these initiatives.

I have to point out also that the $100 million costs are not government costs. Those were the mining companies that had to bear that burden, so that’s not something that we have any flexibility on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 160-15(5): All-Weather Road Access To The Diamond Mines

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, that $100 million would have been good money going into highway infrastructure, Mr. Speaker, with a partnership three ways with the federal and territorial government, but that’s another argument. Mr. Speaker, can I get some timelines from this Minister? Nunavut is considering the Bathurst Inlet port and if we are asleep at the switch too long, they are going to jump ahead of us on this opportunity. So what type of timeline can this Minister of Transportation tell me he’s going to work with industry to ensure we are doing this project in a timely way? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 160-15(5): All-Weather Road Access To The Diamond Mines

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have already had some early discussion on this. We’ve had some face-to-face meetings with industry. We have had some discussions on some of the options with different stakeholders. So we have already embarked on looking at how we can deal with some of these initiatives. Of course, this coming winter is going to give us a better understanding of what we are really up against. Are there ways we can look at alternate routes? Are there ways we can consider some other options is something we will have to decide.

I want to point out though that we have already, along with the Premier, sat down with the federal Minister and indicated that these were some of our concerns and these were some of the issues that may be coming forward. So we’ve already taken the first steps. There is still a lot of legwork to do in trying to resolve some of these issues. Thank you.